The present invention relates to an ink-jet printer and particularly to an ink-jet printer which is suitable for ink jet printing onto fabrics.
In regard to recording systems, printers are generally divided into a thermal system, a wire-dot system, and an ink-jet system. Of these, in ink-jet systems (ink-jet printers) while a recording medium (for example, representatively a paper sheet) is conveyed employing a conveying roller and a pressure roller, images are formed on the recording medium by ejecting ink droplets from the recording head. Heretofore, ink-jet printers have been employed as printing devices for paper sheets, but have been employed for printing images onto fabrics other than paper.
Fabrics employed for printing are comprised of various materials including natural fibers such as silk, wool, and cotton and synthetic fibers such as polyester, acryl, and nylon. Features of the fabrics differ depending upon fiber thickness, different weaving, the presence of hair-shaped napping, fiber knitting, and the like. Accordingly, different handling is required compared to the case in which paper is printed.
For example, a fabric does not exhibit sufficient stiffness capable of realizing stable conveyance, compared to paper and film sheet. As a result, when the fabric is conveyed employing only the aforethe conveyance roller and pressure roller so that the fabric is conveyed to the position facing a recording head, problems occur in which wrinkles tend to form. Further, the fabric is subjected to greater elongation as well as greater shrinkage (specifically, woven fabrics such as a knitted fabric are so) than paper and film sheet. As a result, the dimensions tend to be distorted. Incidentally, such wrinkles and distortion tend to occur along with an increase in width of the fabric.
When the wrinkles and distortion are formed, images formed on the fabric results in undesired deformation. For example, the amount of ink, which is to be uniform all over a fabric, may vary locally, and ink may not be ejected onto the target position. Due to such problems, images result in undesired deformation. As a result, generally, it is difficult to maintain high level quality images formed on a fabric.
From the viewpoint of the foregoing, the present invention was achieved. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink-jet printer capable of forming a high quality image by decreasing elongation and shrinkage of the recording medium as well as by retarding deformation of the recording medium at at least the position facing a recording head during the formation of images.
The aforethe object was achieved employing the structures described below.
Structure 1
An ink-jet printer which is provided with a recording head ejecting ink through nozzles, as well as with a conveying means which is arranged at the position facing the recording head and conveys a recording medium, and which is capable of forming an image on the recording medium by attaching ink ejected from the recording head while conveying the recording medium by the conveying means, the ink-jet printer is characterized in that a recording medium expansion and contraction-preventing means is provided at the contact position where the conveying means contacts the recording medium.
Structure 2
An ink-jet printer which is provided with a recording head which ejects ink through nozzles, as well as with a conveying means which is arranged at the position facing the recording head, and conveys a recording medium, and which is capable of forming an image on the recording medium by attaching ink ejected from the recording head while conveying the recording medium by the conveying means, the ink-jet printer is characterized in that the conveying means is an endless belt and the surface of the endless belt has raised portions.
Structure 3
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the raised portions are projections installed on the surface of the endless belt.
Structure 4
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the projections are installed on the entire surface of the endless belt.
Structure 5
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the projections are installed along the both edges of the surface of the endless belt in the perpendicular direction to the moving direction of the endless belt.
Structure 6
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the nozzle is formed in a nozzle plate and the recording head is arranged so as to be movable in the crossed direction of the conveying direction of the recording medium conveyed by the conveying means; and the projections are located to keep in noncontact with at least the nozzle surface of the nozzle plate where the nozzle is provided when the recording head moves in the crossed direction to the conveying direction of the recording medium and passes above the position facing the projections.
Structure 7
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the nozzle is formed in a nozzle plate; a guard member is provided so as to be near the nozzle and to nip the nozzle plate with respect to the moving direction of the recording head, and the guard member located so as to be projected than a nozzle surface, in which the nozzle is provided, of the nozzle plate; the projections are fixed onto the endless belt so as to enable to rise and fall; and when the recording head moves and then passes above the projections, the projections is brought down by the guard member so as to keep in noncontact with the nozzle surface.
Structure 8
In structure 3, it is preferable that the both edges of the surface of the endless belt are at least out of the region in which the image is recorded by the recording head; the nozzle is formed in the nozzle plate; the recording head is movable in the crossed direction to the conveying direction of the recording medium; and when passing above the projections, at least the nozzle surface of the nozzle plate, in which the nozzle is formed, is displaceable so that the nozzle surface keeps in noncontact the projections, when the recording head passes above the projections.
Structure 9
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the projections are needle-shaped members.
Structure 10
In Structure 9, it is preferable the needle-shaped members have bent form toward the downstream side in the conveying direction of the recording medium, or inclined form toward the downstream side in the conveying direction of the recording medium.
Structure 11
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the projections are installed with comprising a solid material.
Structure 12
In structure 11, it is preferable that the solid material is metallic particles, ceramic particles, or hard plastic particles.
Structure 13
In Structure 12, it is preferable that a medium into which the metallic particles, ceramic particles, or hard plastic particles are kneaded is coated onto the endless belt.
Structure 14
In Structure 12, it is preferable that a medium into which the metallic particles, ceramic particles, or hard plastic particles are kneaded is adhibited onto the endless belt.
Structure 15
In Structures 12 through 14, it is preferable that the metallic particles, ceramic particles, or hard plastic particles have a shape with a corner.
Structure 16
In Structure 3, it is preferable that the projections are hairs comprised of fibers.
Structure 17
In Structure 16, it is preferable that the hairs are implanted onto the surface of the endless belt.
Structure 18
In Structures 16 and 17, it is preferable that the recording medium is a fabric, and the number of the implanted hairs per unit area is more than the number of fine lines of the fabric per the unit area.
Structure 19
In Structures 16 through 18, it is preferable that the hairs are implanted so as to be erect.
Structure 20
In Structures 2 through 19, it is preferable that the endless belt is arranged so as to have a curvature radius of not less than 20 mm.
Structure 21
In Structures 2 through 20, it is preferable that the ink-jet printer comprises a re-adhesion preventing means to prevent re-adhesion of ink, which adheres onto the endless belt or the projections, onto the recording medium.
Structure 22
In Structure 21, it is preferable that the re-adhesion preventing means comprises a washing means to wash away the ink adhering onto the endless belt or the projections by spraying a washing liquid onto the endless belt.
Structure 23
In Structure 22, it is more preferable that the re-adhesion preventing means comprises a drying means to dry the endless belt after washing by the washing means.
Structure 24
In Structure 21, it is preferable that the re-adhesion preventing means comprises a drying means to dry ink adhering onto the endless belt or the projections.
Structure 25
In Structure 24, it is preferable that far-infrared rays are employed in the drying means.
Structure 26
In Structure 25, it is preferable that the far-infrared rays are generated by a far-infrared heater or a halogen heater.
Structure 27
In Structure 21, it is preferable that the re-adhesion preventing means comprises an absorbing means to absorb ink adhering onto the endless belt or the projections by contacting the endless belt.
Structure 28
In Structures 2 through 27, it is preferable that the ink-jet printer comprises a removing means to remove a part of the projection, which drop from the endless belt and adhere onto the recording medium.
Structure 29
In Structure 28, it is preferable that the removing means comprises an electrostatic adhesion means to adhere the part of the projection adhering to the recording medium by electrostatic adhesion force.
Structure 30
In Structure 28, it is preferable that the removing means has a cleaning roller, which is rotatably supported and located so as to contact the recording medium, to remove a part of the projections by glue or a gluing material provided on the surface of cleaning roller.
Structure 31
In Structure 28, it is preferable that the removing means has a cleaning roller, which is rotatably supported and located so as to contact the recording medium, to remove a part of the projections by a double-faced tape adhibited on the surface of cleaning roller.
Structure 32
In Structure 28, it is preferable that the removing means has a cleaning roller, which is rotatably supported and located so as to contact the recording medium, to remove a part of the projections by an adhesive rubber provided on the surface of cleaning roller.
Structure 33
In Structures 30 through 32, it is preferable that the removing means comprises a retrieving means to retrieve the part of the projections transferred on to the cleaning roller.
Structure 34
In Structures 2 through 33, it is preferable that the endless belt faces the recording head and provided to the position of the downstream with respect to the image forming region by the recording head.
Structure 35
In an ink-jet printer which is provided with a recording head ejecting ink through the nozzle, as well as with a conveying means which is located at the position facing the recording head and conveys a recording medium, and which is capable of forming an image on the recording medium by attaching ink ejected from the recording head while conveying the recording medium by the conveying means, the ink-jet printer is characterized in that the conveying means is a platen roller and the surface of the platen roller has raised portions.
Structure 36
In Structure 35, it is preferable that the raised portions are projections installed on the surface of the platen roller.
Structure 37
In Structure 36, it is preferable that the projections are installed on the entire surface of the platen roller.
Structure 38
In Structure 36, it is preferable that the projections are installed along the both edges of the surface of the platen roller.
Structure 39
In Structure 36, it is preferable that the nozzle is formed in the nozzle plate and the recording head is arranged so as to be movable in the crossed direction to the conveying direction of the recording medium; and the projections are located so as to keep in noncontact with at least the nozzle surface of the nozzle plate, where the nozzle is provided, of the recording head when the recording head moves in the crossed direction and passes above the projections.
Structure 40
In Structure 36, it is preferable that the nozzle is formed in a nozzle plate; a guard member is provided so as to be near the nozzle and to nip the nozzle plate with respect to the moving direction of the recording head, and the guard member located so as to be projected than a nozzle surface, in which the nozzle is provided, of the nozzle plate; the projections are fixed onto the platen roller so as to enable to rise and fall; and when the recording head moves and then passes above the projections, the projections is brought down by the guard member so as to keep in noncontact with the nozzle surface.
Structure 41
In structure 36, it is preferable that the both edges of the surface of the platen roller are at least out of a region in which the image is recorded by the recording head; the nozzle is formed in the nozzle plate; the recording head is movable in the crossed direction to a conveying direction of the recording medium; and when passing above the projections, at least the nozzle surface of the nozzle plate, in which the nozzle is formed, is displaceable so that the nozzle surface keeps in noncontact the projections, when the recording head passes above the projections.
In Structures 36 through 41, it is preferably that the projections are needle-shaped members.
Structure 43
In Structure 42, it is preferable the needle-shaped members have bent form toward the downstream side in the conveying direction of the recording medium, or inclined form toward the downstream side in the conveying direction of the recording medium.
Structure 44
In Structures 36 through 41, it is preferable that the projections are installed with comprising a solid material.
Structure 45
In structure 44, it is preferable that the solid material is metallic particles, ceramic particles, or hard plastic particles.
Structure 46
In Structure 45, it is preferable that a medium into which the metallic particles, ceramic particles, or hard plastic particles are kneaded is coated onto the platen roller.
Structure 47
In Structure 45, it is preferable that a medium into which the metallic particles, ceramic particles, or hard plastic particles are kneaded is adhibited onto the platen roller.
Structure 48
In Structures 45, it is preferable the metallic particles, ceramic particles, or hard plastic particles have a shape with a corner.
Structure 49
In Structures 36 through 41, it is preferable that the projections are hairs comprised of fibers.
Structure 50
In Structure 49, it is preferable that the hairs are implanted onto the surface of the platen roller.
Structure 51
In Structures 49 and 50, it is preferable that the recording medium is a fabric, and the number of the hairs per unit area, which are implanted, is more than the number of fine lines of the fabric.
Structure 52
In Structures 49 through 51, it is preferable that the hairs are implanted so as to be erect.
Structure 53
In Structures 35 through 52, it is preferable that the ink-jet printer comprises a re-adhesion preventing means to prevent re-adhesion of ink, which adheres onto the platen roller or the projections, onto the recording medium.
Structure 54
In Structure 53, it is preferable that the re-adhesion preventing means comprises a washing means to wash away the ink adhering onto the platen roller or the projections by spraying a washing liquid onto the platen roller.
Structure 55
In Structure 54, it is preferable that the re-adhesion preventing means comprises a drying means to dry the platen roller after washing by the washing means.
Structure 56
In Structure 53, it is preferable that the re-adhesion preventing means is provided with a drying means to dry ink adhering onto the platen roller or the projections.
Structure 57
In Structure 56, it is preferable that far-infrared rays are employed in the drying means.
Structure 58
In Structure 57, it is preferable that the far-infrared rays are generated by a far-infrared heater or a halogen heater.
Structure 59
In Structure 53, it is preferable that the re-adhesion preventing means comprises an absorbing member to absorb ink adhering onto the platen roller or the projections by contacting the platen roller.
Structure 60
In Structures 35 through 59, it is preferable that the ink-jet printer comprises a removing means to remove a part of the projection, which drop from the platen roller and adhered onto the recording medium.
Structure 61
In Structure 60, it is preferable that the removing means comprises an electrostatic adhesion means to adhere the part of the projection adhering to the recording medium by electrostatic adhesion force.
Structure 62
In Structure 60, it is preferable that the removing means has a cleaning roller, which is rotatably supported and located so as to contact the recording medium, to remove a part of the projections by glue or a gluing material provided on the surface of cleaning roller.
Structure 63
In Structure 60, it is preferable that the removing means has a cleaning roller, which is rotatably supported and located so as to contact the recording medium, to remove a part of the projections by a double-faced tape adhibited on the surface of cleaning roller.
Structure 64
In Structure 60, it is preferable that the removing means has a cleaning roller, which is rotatably supported and located so as to contact the recording medium, to remove a part of the projections by an adhesive rubber provided on the surface of cleaning roller.
Structure 65
In Structures 62 through 64, it is preferable that the removing means comprises a retrieving means to retrieve the part of the projections transferred on to the cleaning roller.
Structure 66
In an ink-jet printer which is provided with a recording head which ejects ink through a nozzle, as well as with a conveying means which is arranged at the position facing the recording head and conveys a recording medium, and which is capable of forming an image on the recording medium by attaching ink ejected from the recording head while conveying the recording medium by the conveying means, the ink-jet printer is characterized in that the conveying means is an endless belt and the surface of the endless belt has an adhesive rubber.
Structure 67
In an ink-jet printer which is provided with a recording head which ejects ink through a nozzle, as well as with a conveying means which is arranged at the position facing the recording head and conveys a recording medium, and which is capable of forming an image on the recording medium by attaching ink ejected from the recording head while conveying the recording medium by the conveying means, the ink-jet printer is characterized in that the conveying means is a platen roller and the surface of the platen roller has an adhesive rubber.